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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457186">Like Real People Do</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyberqueen/pseuds/kyberqueen'>kyberqueen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Death, Reader is in love, italics signify a flashback, mentions of food, mentions of suggestive content, rex is a sweetie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyberqueen/pseuds/kyberqueen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedi!reader and Rex fall in love but are separated by the war. They meet again two years later, weeks before the Siege of Mandalore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT-7567 | Rex/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One (Prologue)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>You woke up slowly this morning. It was later than usual; the sun clawed at your window. It pierced through the blinds, attempting to draw you from your pleasant dream-like state. You stretched, rolling onto your side and facing the warm body to your left. Rex was still asleep, his features relaxed as his breaths puffed evenly from his parted lips. He looked peaceful. The practical part of you knew that you needed to wake him up, that you couldn’t risk being seen sneaking him out of the temple, but the part of you that was merely a person in love longed to stay. You shifted closer and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. He didn’t stir. You raised your hand to cup his jaw, kissing a little line across his cheekbone. Rex shifted, his honey-brown eyes fluttering open. His eyes met yours and your heart clenched in your chest. He was so beautiful.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Good morning,” you whispered. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Rex let out a contented sigh. He turned his head slightly to press his lips to your thumb where it rested at the corner of his mouth. “How much time do we have?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You hated that question. “Not long, sun’s already up. You should get going,”.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Rex nodded in understanding. This was dangerous for the both of you—if caught, you’d get expelled from the order and, best case scenario, Rex would be sent to some backwater moon in the outer rim. Clones were expendable, he was expendable. Realistically, they’d court-marshal him, find him guilty, and he’d either be executed or spend the rest of his days in a republic jail cell. Rex shuddered at the thought. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Patrols start in 15 minutes, we don’t have much time,”. Your voice, still rough from sleep, drew Rex from his train of thought. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Why do you always have to be the responsible one?” Rex said with mock exasperation, hauling himself into a seated position. He stumbled off your bed, and you found yourself missing his warmth. You watched in silence as he pulled the top of his blacks over his head, flexing his shoulders at the sensation of the rough fabric against his golden skin. He carefully reattached his armor, the clean white plastoid masking the softer black material. You reached for his helmet, tugging at his hand as you pulled him back to your bed and into your arms. He kissed you softly, his gloved hand gentle against your cheek. He held you close, and you sensed that he didn’t want to let go. Emotion swelled in your chest. He pulled away, and you slid his helmet over his head with resignation. He walked to the door, and as he did, you gasped. Something twisted deep and painful in your gut, and you were struck with the premonition that something wasn’t right.   </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Rex—” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’ll see you tonight, cyare,”. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And with that, he left. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You attempted to brush off your unease, rolling your shoulders and hauling yourself out of bed. You bent down to grab your robes from the floor, and your face heated as memories of you eagerly shucking them off last night resurfaced. You had needed him last night, not even bothering to watch for patrols as you dragged him, laughing, into your temple apartment. Jedi weren’t supposed to be as reckless as you were. Jedi weren’t supposed to fall in love like you had. According to the council, attachments put you on a dangerous path to the dark side, leading to evil. If that was true, how come the time you spent with Rex was the only time you ever felt entirely good? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You redressed and grabbed a ration bar before heading to the high council chamber. Master Windu had requested your presence at 0600—too early to be a meeting with the full council. You assumed he wanted to go over your lesson curriculum for the younglings. You were supposed to lead a lightsaber skills workshop this morning, and Windu, ever the stickler about technique, probably wanted to go over the moves you’d be teaching. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You entered the chamber to find Master Windu and Master Secura deep in conversation. You cleared your throat and gave them each a respectful bow. They turned, and you searched their faces for any indicators of their intentions. Master Secura smiled, tilting her head thoughtfully. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “We have a new assignment for you,”. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Would you be taking on more teaching responsibilities? You bit your lip nervously. The twisting feeling in your gut was back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Windu spoke next. “You’ll be joining the 327th as an auxiliary commanding officer. You’ll report directly to General Secura, but you’ll have the opportunity to assist with and develop battle plans. You’re one of our most promising strategists—it’s time you put your skills to use,”. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You were stunned. You excelled in strategy training as a Padawan, but to actually have the ability to use your training on the battlefield? As much as you adored the younglings, your heart leapt at the prospect. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “We leave for a year-long campaign in the outer rim at 1400. Welcome to the 327th, young one,”. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Your heart dropped into your stomach. An entire year? As excited as you were to serve under General Secura, you had built a life for yourself on Coruscant. Rex was on Coruscant. A lot could happen in a year—especially in wartime. You had heard the stories of callous generals who treated their clone troopers like droids, suffering innumerable losses without batting an eye. Rex was still a shiny—he hadn’t even seen combat yet. What if he got hurt, or worse? Regardless, the council had given an order and it was your job to follow it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I am honored. Thank you, Masters,”. You prayed neither of them heard the tremor in your voice. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You walked out of the council chambers and sucked in a shaky breath. You needed to find Rex. You rushed to the mess hall, hoping to catch him during breakfast, but no one was there. You tried the 501st barracks next, but they were all empty. Your unease grew by the minute, and you were once again reminded of the gut feeling you had earlier. You needed to see him before you left. Stars, you didn’t even have his commlink. You had never needed it—you were assigned to his squadron for training exercises, you saw him every day for at least an hour. Deep in thought, you stumbled into a robed man walking the opposite direction. You issued a hasty apology, taking a few more steps before realization hit you. That was Master Kenobi. If anyone knew where Skywalker’s unit went, it would be him. You doubled back, jogging to catch up with him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Master Kenobi, sorry for running into you. I was wondering if you had any idea where the 501st is right now,”. Your tone raised at the end of the sentence. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kenobi stopped in his tracks, pausing to consider your question. “I believe they’re en route to Geonosis as of this moment, my dear. They boarded the Resolute half an hour ago,”. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your chest collapsed. You summoned up the courage to respond, a weak ‘thank you’ escaping your trembling lips. You had talked with Rex once about the possibility of being separated, but neither of you had taken the discussion seriously. You always thought you would have more time. Neither of you knew what would happen to the other if either of you shipped out—war was dangerous, and it made love damn near impossible. Right after he told you he loved you for the first time, Rex told you he didn’t want to live in fear of when either of you would leave. He wanted to take each day as it came. You noticed he was quieter last night, more stoic. Before you fell asleep, he had told you that he loved you, that he wanted you to remember that he loved you, no matter what happened. Did he know he was leaving? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kenobi noticed the change in your demeanor. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Why do you ask?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You took a sharp inhale, and pushed your treacherous thoughts to the side. You feigned apathy as a piece of your soul shattered inside you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “No reason,”.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter takes place two years after the prologue–Jedi master!reader is stationed in the outer rim and is currently kicking ass alongside Aayla Secura. Reader n Anakin are gonna be bros, Rex runs from his problems.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your lightsaber cleaved through the battle droid, leaving a bubbling mess of metal in your wake as you leapt to your next target. You were efficient, your strokes short and effective. You deflected a final blaster shot from a fallen droid before sprinting back to where Master Secura stood. She was perched on the only clear slate of ground amidst a sea of demolished battle droids. Realizing that, for now, the fight was over, you sucked in a few greedy breaths as you wiped your brow. Noting your gesture, Aayla shook her head with a smile.</p><p>“Tired already, Commander?”</p><p>You laughed breathlessly, rolling your shoulders and giving your lightsaber an experimental spin. “Just warming up, General,”.</p><p>You switched on your datapad, reviewing the strategy you had composed. Your eyes flicked from the battle plans to your surroundings, noting the rocky terrain and sparse vegetation. A grunt to your right drew your attention—a few troopers dragging one of their wounded to the medevac. Your stomach clenched. Thanks to your constant planning and preparation, the 327<sup>th</sup> had the lowest casualty count in the GAR. Even so, every loss hit you personally. Due to your position as a strategist, you took credit for every victory and every defeat—if you lost a man on the battlefield, it was due to <em>your</em> planning.</p><p>The beeping of Aayla’s commlink interrupted your dwellings. Master Windu’s voice cut through the steady thrum of the battle tanks’ generators as Aayla paged him through.</p><p>“Master Secura. Master—” A shout from one of the clone troopers drew your attention. The separatists’ reinforcements had arrived.</p><p>Windu carried on despite the interruption. “General, your auxiliary commanding officer is required on Coruscant immediately. You may proceed with your mission as planned,”. He addressed you next. “Commander, please be advised as to commandeer a starship as soon as possible. Upon returning to Coruscant, meet me aboard the Venator,”.</p><p>Your brow furrowed, and you turned to Aayla, concerned.</p><p>“Grab a starfighter, Commander. We’ll be fine,”.</p><p>“But the reinforcements—”</p><p>“Are accounted for in your plans, no? <em>Go</em>,”. Aayla patted you on the shoulder.</p><p>You gave her a reluctant smile and headed toward the starfighters.</p><p>Once you had piloted out of the atmosphere, you set your hyperdrive coordinates to Coruscant and settled into your seat. You bounced your leg nervously. You hadn’t been back on Coruscant in years. You hadn’t been back since—well, since you were with Rex. You doubted he would be there, you doubted he was even <em>alive </em>at times. Hope fluttered in your chest just the same.</p><p>The journey was easy enough—you arrived at Coruscant within the hour. You disembarked from your starfighter, and immediately sought out the Venator. Windu was waiting for you at the ramp, and he motioned for you to walk with him.</p><p>“Since your appointment as Master, you’ve excelled at both strategy and diplomacy while assigned to the 327<sup>th</sup>.Your success within this unit is undeniable, but myself and other members of the council feel that your talents could best be used elsewhere,”.</p><p>You nodded in understanding. You were aboard the Venator now, and you found yourself distracted by the steady stream of troopers flowing through the halls of the destroyer. You searched each face, looking for someone you knew was probably long gone. You didn’t even know if you would recognize him now. So much time had passed since you first left Coruscant, yet thoughts of the man you left behind still occupied your mind. With each new unit you encountered, you hoped to catch a glimpse of blond hair within the crowd. As you focused more and more on their faces, Windu’s speech faded into the distance.</p><p>“Are you listening, Master?”</p><p>You shook yourself back to attention.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Master Windu. Could you repeat that?”</p><p>“I <em>said </em>that you’ll be assisting the 501<sup>st</sup> in tactical preparation and risk reduction. You’ll report to General Skywalker—he’s brilliant, but his plans often lack forethought. Your emphasis on preparation before action will serve him well. Meet General Skywalker on the bridge—he’ll be waiting for you,”.</p><p>Your eyes went wide. <em>The 501<sup>st</sup>? </em>Images of Rex flooded through your mind. It’s been just over two years since you’d last seen him—the systems in the outer rim had dearly needed republic support, and your year-long tour had been prolonged indefinitely. So much had happened, so much had <em>changed</em>. You were a Jedi master now, but you couldn’t repress the way your heart fluttered at the prospect of seeing him again.</p><p>“Oh, and Commander?” Your eyes flicked to Windu.</p><p>“Yes, Master?”</p><p>“Good luck,”.</p><p>Windu turned, and you watched as he disappeared into the crowd. <em>Where were you supposed to meet Skywalker, again? </em>Remembering your purpose, you set off for the bridge. Skywalker was waiting for you at the entrance, as Master Windu had said. He gave you an appraising look.</p><p>“You’re the Commander, right?” His tone was guarded—you could tell he was uneasy about you. He probably didn’t appreciate your intrusion into his unit. You knew from the republic reports that Skywalker was one of the most skilled Generals in the GAR—the 501<sup>st</sup> had a surprisingly low casualty rate, rivalling the 327<sup>th</sup>. Skywalker seemed to be handling his troops just fine. <em>Why were you here?</em></p><p> </p><p>“Guilty as charged. Forgive me if this is forward, but I’ve read your reports. Your loss numbers are low despite the relative spontaneity of your strategies. You clearly have control over your battalion. Why am I here?”</p><p>Skywalker grinned. “That’s what <em>I </em>said. The council thinks my strategies need more structure—I guess that’s where you come in,”.</p><p>“Well, General, I’ll do my best to align your tactics with the council’s ideals—but considering how high your success rate is, I think it would be best if I left most tactical autonomy to you. Would you agree?”</p><p>“Absolutely,” Skywalker paused, before laughing to himself. You cocked your head.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You know, you’re not at all what I thought you’d be,”.</p><p>“I’m going to assume that’s a good thing,” you smiled.</p><p>“It is. I guess I should go over our specifications—”</p><p>You should have been listening as the General gave you the rundown of his battalion. You couldn’t. All you could think about was Rex. Was he here? Was he <em>alive</em>? You should ask—you doubted Skywalker would know the answer. Did he have a directory of his troops? Maybe you could ask to look through his records.</p><p>“—my clone captain, Rex, will be meeting us here to take you on a tour of the ship. Oh, and we don’t do numbers here—my men have names, and you’ll use them,”.</p><p>Your eyes widened. If you were any less shocked, you might have been touched by Skywalker’s sentiment. <em>Did he say Rex was his captain? </em>You must be hallucinating now.</p><p>“I’m sorry, what did you say his name was?”</p><p>“Rex—oh, speak of the devil, here he is now,”. Anakin looked over your shoulder, oblivious to the emotional tailspin he had sent you into.</p><p>You turned to follow Skywalker’s gaze, and your heart stopped in your chest. He’s <em>here. </em>The same honey-brown eyes, the same blonde buzz, a little older, a little wearier, but it was <em>him. </em></p><p>“<em>Rex</em>—”</p><p>He snapped into a solute, his features set in a stoic gaze as he addressed Skywalker.</p><p>“General,” his eyes shifted over to you, his expression imperceptible. “Master,”.</p><p>Rex turned, and Skywalker motioned for you to follow him. The general took a few jogging steps to catch up with his captain, and whispered something to him that caused him to sneak a momentary glance over his shoulder at you. You were perplexed. Did he not recognize you? You were certain it was him. Skywalker retreated back into the command center, and Rex’s gruff baritone interrupted your thoughts.</p><p>“Barracks’re this way,”. Rex motioned to his left before setting off in the direction he indicated.</p><p>You enlarged your steps to avoid trailing behind. Rex walked faster. Spotting what looked like a maintenance room, you grabbed at his arm to stop him.</p><p>“Sir, what are you—”</p><p>You dragged him into the closet and closed the door.</p><p>“It’s really you, right?”</p><p>Rex nodded, slowly.</p><p>“Do you remember me?” You studied his face, watching as he slowly raised his stare to your knit brow and wide eyes. He sighed, and you watched his shoulders fall slightly.</p><p>“Yeah, ‘course I do,”.</p><p>You were at a loss for words. You took in the kama and pauldrons, the score marks on his vambraces.</p><p>“You’re a captain, now?”</p><p>“You’re a master, now?”</p><p>You laughed, and you noted the creases in Rex’s cheeks when he smiled. His smile disappeared far too soon for your liking. War had aged you both, but he wore it well, you thought. You opened your mouth to speak, but the buzzing of Rex’s commlink interjected.</p><p>Rex looked up from the commlink with an apologetic smile. “Duty calls. I’ll see you around, right?”</p><p>You nodded. <em>There was so much you wanted to say</em>.</p><p>Rex clapped you on the shoulder and walked out the door.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In this chapter, Rex and Reader are prepping for a mission on an outer rim planet. Some fluff, slight angst, Rex gets to use a lightsaber because I say so. Italics signify a flashback in this fic.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After your less than satisfying encounter in the maintenance closet, you had made an early retirement to your quarters to sulk. You slept, but your dreams were ridden with visions of a certain bleach-blond captain. You awoke the next morning ill-rested and heartsick.</p><p>You showed up late to your first tactical meeting with the upper ranks of the 501<sup>st</sup> in a disgruntled mess of dark undereyes and wrinkled robes. If Rex noticed your sleep-deprived state, he made no mention of it. You had positioned yourself strategically in the back of the room, precisely so if you peeked between the admirals, you could clearly see Rex discussing troop formations with General Skywalker. His structured brow was furrowed, and you noted the way he gestured at the maps as he made his point. He was so much more confident now, so much more self-assured than that often-anxious shiny you remembered from training drills two years ago. Maybe that was why he gave you the cold shoulder yesterday—had he outgrown you? Two years was a long time, especially during a war. Did he find someone new? Your heart burned at the thought. You hadn’t even tried to move on—at times, at your lowest points, you considered it, but you never gave up on him<b>. </b>You had broken your code for him. You had broken it every day since you met him, and yet here he was, the picture of cordial indifference. You were <em>attached</em>, deeply and painfully. Did he still care about you? <b></b></p><p>“Commander, I can hear your gears turning—any input?” Skywalker looked at you expectantly.</p><p>You eased your tired features into a placating smile. “Looks good to me, General,”.</p><p>“Perfect. Rex, you’ll go with the commander. I want you two waiting just outside the village. The Separatists should arrive within around two hours of landing. Comm me when you see the Separatist forces coming, and you guys cut down as many of the first wave as possible. I’ll circle around with the rest of the 501<sup>st</sup> and we’ll finish off the rest from behind. All clear?”</p><p>You nod in assent as Rex answers with a decisive, “Yes, sir,”.</p><p>***</p><p>Rex was going to have to have a conversation with his general after this. Your very first mission with the 501<sup>st</sup>, and Skywalker had paired you with Rex on a glorified <em>stakeout </em>of all things. Rex was <em>pissed</em>. He had decided as soon as he found out you would be consulting with the 501<sup>st</sup> that he would keep his distance. He knew it wasn’t your fault that you hadn’t seen each other in years—war makes love near impossible. He was more upset with himself for falling for a Jedi. It was <em>against the law </em>for either of you to have an attachment to each other. Rex had fallen in love, and it was a stupid, shitty idea<b>. </b>He had spent the better part of two years trying to bury his memories of you, and just as he was beginning to succeed, here you were creeping back into his mind. Just the sight of you threw him back to two years ago—back when he was really, truly happy. Rex was built for war, nothing more. The problem with <em>you </em>was that being with you made him think otherwise. When you were together, you would always talk about ‘after the war’. Rex knew that as a clone, there really wouldn’t <em>be </em>an after. You, with your altruism and soft smiles and gentle touches were everything Rex <em>didn’t </em>need.<b></b></p><p> </p><p>Rex walked to the pod that would take the pair of you to the Separatist-threatened planet. You were already seated. You thumbed the grip of your lightsaber, and Rex recognized the gesture—it was a habit whenever you were nervous.His eyes were locked on you, debating whether or not he should say something despite his earlier promise to not get involved. You broke the silence for him.<b></b></p><p>“I can feel you staring, Rex. Talk to me,”.</p><p>You could always tell what he was thinking. As your friendship first blossomed, it unnerved him, but as your paths intertwined more and more he found it a comfort to have you understand him so well without him even saying a word. Rex met your eyes, and his stomach clenched. You were still <em>so </em>beautiful. He looked away<b></b></p><p>“Just thinking about the campaign, sir,”.<b></b></p><p>Your heart <em>ached</em>. Every bone in your body was <em>screaming</em>, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you,” and yet he called you sir. He addressed you as a superior, another link in the chain of command. He really <em>had </em>moved on, hadn’t he? You bit your lip, the sharp pain of your teeth against the tender skin attempting to draw your attention away from your torturous thoughts. You had a mission to complete. You peeked out the porthole, and you saw the terrain approaching <em>far </em>faster than normal.<b></b></p><p>You landed with a crash. You were jostled from your seat, your head smacking the metal wall painfully. As the ringing in your skull crescendoed, you took stock of your darkened surroundings through your blurred vision. The lighting in the pod must have been damaged during your landing. You ignited your lightsaber, illuminating Rex with its soft glow. He stood up and rolled his shoulder experimentally, his nose scrunching in pain. <b></b></p><p>Your brows furrowed, “Are you alright?’<b></b></p><p>“I’m fine,” He grunted. He felt his way along the walls. “Exit’s been jammed shut, though,”<b></b></p><p>You searched his eyes in the dim lighting, another pang of longing reverberating through your chest. You dismissed the sensation and plunged your lightsaber into the wall of the pod, freeing yourselves. You emerged from the battered pod, your head pounding as your eyes adjusted. It was bright, with the triad suns beating down on you relentlessly. You checked your positioning system—you had landed a mere 15-minute walk from your stakeout site. You watched as Rex eased himself out of the pod. He groaned, his hand cradling his right arm. You handed him his positioning chip, and the two of you set off towards the village outskirts.</p><p>You noticed his hand lingered on his right shoulder, and he would grimace from time to time when it jostled. You reached your hand out to his plastoid-covered shoulder. “Rex, let me—” <b></b></p><p> </p><p>“I’m <em>fine</em>,”.<b></b></p><p>His tone was sharp and dangerous, affecting you like a slap to the face. You sucked in a breath, and walked the rest of the path in silence. The planet was beautiful—you were surrounded on all sides by strange golden grasses that swayed with the breeze. Its beauty did nothing to distract you from the man by your side.</p><p>You arrived at the meeting point and immediately settled yourself against the large boulder meant as your cover. Rex sat across from you, leaning against a smaller rock. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes for a moment and swallowing thickly. You traced the sharp line of his jaw with your eyes, following down to the thick cords of muscle in his neck. You contemplated another attempt at offering him some bacta spray, but considering his earlier response, decided against it. When did Skywalker say the Separatists would arrive? Two hours?</p><p>You spent around an hour in silence. You meditated, as General Secura had taught you. Time moved thickly around you, your aura burning bright as it cut through the hours and seconds. With your deep focus came little flashes of memories.</p><p>
  <em>You saw Rex, smiling. His golden skin was warm against the soft sheets. His thumb traced the apple of your cheek. You grinned.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“What do you want to do, Rex? After this is all over?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He paused, his hand resting heavy on your jaw. “I don’t know, cyare. Guess I never really thought about it,”. His eyes flicked over your gentle smile and bright eyes. “I’d wanna be with you, though,” he whispered. You’re everything he could ever want. He’d never loved anything so much, and he knew he’d never love anyone else the way he loved you. What the hell did he do to deserve you? “What about you?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“My parents—I barely remember them now—had a house on Naboo. We could live there, just us. No war, no fighting. It’s so beautiful there, Rex. The grass is long and tall—as a child, I’d play outside for hours just soaking up the sunlight. It’s a good place for raising children,”. Your face heated as you said the last part. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Raising children, eh?” Rex tilted your chin, and you lifted your gaze to his eyes. You nodded slowly. “With me?” His eyes shone in the morning sunlight, his brow furrowed. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Yes, Rex. Who else?” Rex’s expression eased, and you pressed your lips to each of his cheeks, followed by a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose. Rex sighed contentedly. He had no clue why you were with a shiny like him—he was one of a million genetically and physically identical men. He was sure that eventually you’d realize just how much better you could do than a clone, but until that day he’d savor every precious moment with you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You’re gonna be a great parent, one day, cyar’ika,”.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You will, too, Rex,”. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>You jolted out of your trance. It was just your luck that Rex had infiltrated the one escape you had from your relentless thoughts of him.You opened your eyes to find him studying your face. He averted his gaze quickly.<b></b></p><p>“Rex,” you called.<b></b></p><p>He fiddled with the straps of his armor.<b></b></p><p>“<em>Rex</em>,”.<b></b></p><p> </p><p>He dropped his hands to his sides with a harsh sigh. “Would you just <em>stop it</em>?”<b></b></p><p>You were stunned. “Rex, I—”<b></b></p><p>“I spent <em>two fucking years </em>trying to forget I ever loved you. I was nothing, I was nobody, and you were this—this <em>ideal </em>being. I had no fucking clue why you gave me the time of day, but I let myself fall for you anyway. When we left for our tours, I <em>broke</em>. You were the first <em>real </em>thing, the first <em>good </em>thing I ever had, and you were gone. I was sure I was gonna die over there—and you wouldn’t have even known if I had. It was <em>so</em> much easier to believe that you had moved on, that you were through with me. Now you’re <em>here</em> and you’re <em>alive</em> and I—” his voice broke, “I don’t know what to do,”. He met your gaze, and his eyes glistened. His voice was barely a whisper, “You were always the rational one. <em>Please </em>tell me what to do,”.<b></b></p><p>Your wide eyes watered. You turned your head to the golden fields and let out a tiny sob. What the <em>hell </em>do you answer to that? Just as you opened your mouth to speak, you spotted what seemed to be a thousand metal heads just over a rolling hill. <em>The separatists</em>. You hastily wiped your eyes and took a deep breath. This would have to wait.</p><p>“The Separatists are here,” your voice wavered more than you would have liked. “I’ll comm the General,”. You sniffed, rubbing your eyes again. <em>Get it together</em>, you thought. You were a Jedi Master, for gods’ sake. Ever since returning to Coruscant, you’d been an emotional trainwreck. You were starting to see why the council discouraged attachments.</p><p>You allowed Rex a moment to collect himself, turning to face the oncoming droids as the two of you prepared in silence. The metallic clang of their footsteps grew louder and louder. Rex slipped his helmet back on over his head and unholstered his blasters.</p><p>“It’s your call, Commander. When d’ya wanna go?”</p><p>You looked back over your shoulder at him, and you were instantly thrown back to the hours of training exercises you had completed together. You grinned.</p><p>“Think you can take down the battle tank over there?” You motioned to the gargantuan hunk of steel situated right in the middle of a sea of battle droids.</p><p>The competitive edge you had so dearly missed was back in Rex’s voice.</p><p>“You know I never miss,”.</p><p>“Race you there,”. And with that, you were off. The two of you flew down the hill, cutting down the droids as if they were made of straw. You swung, decapitating a droid and ducking as Rex put a blaster hole through the one taking aim at you from behind. You worked well together, always did. The rest of the 501<sup>st</sup> seemed to be making easy work of the droids from behind.</p><p>“Rex, blaster!”</p><p>Rex tossed one of his blasters into the air, and you force-pulled it into your grasp in an instant. You fired off three quick shots at one of the tanks, damaging the traction treads. Rex looked over at the tank, and recognized the maneuver you had initiated in an instant. He took off for the tank, and called your name once he was just yards from its base.</p><p>“Saber!”</p><p>You switched off your saber and hurled it in Rex’s direction. He had barreled past at <em>least </em>ten lines of troops, snatching your lightsaber from the air before igniting it and plunging it into the battle tank’s generator while simultaneously firing off a few rapid shots at the droids. The droids’ main attention, as planned, was on you, and you were beginning to feel the heat. You force-pulled your lightsaber, still ignited, from Rex’s grasp and into a line of battle droids before its heavy weight met your palm again.</p><p>“Blaster!”</p><p>You tossed Rex his blaster, and he caught it with ease. With your lightsaber in hand, you began cutting a path to Rex, who had holed up against the decommissioned tank.</p><p>“Need to get me one of those,” Rex motioned to your lightsaber with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>You shook your head with a laugh, deflecting a blaster shot as Rex took aim at the next line of droids.</p><p>It was <em>your </em>fault. <em>You </em>got distracted. Something about the focus in Rex’s masked stare as he picked off the droids one-by-one pulled your attention away <em>just </em>long enough for one of the droids to press the cool metal of its blaster against your neck. Before you could react, Rex fired two quick shots into its head.</p><p>“Told you, cyare, I never miss,”.</p><p>You missed this. The nicknames, the banter, working together like this. It felt good. It felt like coming home. You snuck one last glance at Rex before sprinting out from your cover to cut down the next row of droids.</p><p>Rex was <em>fucked. </em>Did you realize he called you cyare? It just slipped out—something about being here with you, fighting next to you—it brought him back to two years ago. He shook his head, firing at a droid that had pointed its blaster at you. He was done with pretending he didn’t care. He still had <em>no </em>idea what to do, or where this would go, but he could figure that out later.</p><p>You finished off the last droid, looking back at Rex with an easy smile before waving to General Skywalker. Rex jogged over to you, pulling you back behind the tank and away from the prying eyes of the rest of the 501<sup>st</sup>.</p><p>“Rex, wha—”</p><p>He ripped off his helmet, letting it fall to the ground as he pulled you into a kiss. His hand fell to the small of your back, and you practically collapsed into him. His lips were hungry against yours—he was all tongue and teeth and desperation. He needed this. <em>You </em>needed this. You raked your nails through his close-cropped hair, drawing a little groan from deep in his chest. His hands were <em>everywhere</em>—your hair, your neck, your waist—</p><p>“Rex, where are you? Are you injured?”</p><p>For the second time today, Rex was going to <em>kill </em>his general. He pulled away from you reluctantly, his hand lingering on your waist. You take his hand, and press your lips to his palm.</p><p>“We should go,”. Rex nods. “Meet me in my quarters tonight—you still like firewhiskey?”</p><p>“Rex—are you over here?”</p><p>You meet Rex’s eyes, and he smiles. A <em>real </em>smile. “I’ll see you tonight?”</p><p>“See you tonight,”.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter picks up right after Rex and Reader get back on the star destroyer after their mission. Anakin and reader are chaotic. Rex has so many emotions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rex was seven different levels of anxious. He had made it back onto the star destroyer with little incident, taking a pod with his men in lieu of the officers. He still wasn’t entirely sure whether or not Jedi could read minds, but he was <em>certain </em>that Skywalker would take one look at him and be able to tell <em>exactly</em> what happened behind that tank. Rex took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. He had made it back safely, he was in the clear, he had nothing to worry abou—</p><p>“Rex, we need to talk,”.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Skywalker stood directly in front of Rex, arms crossed. He seemed to take up half the hallway—did he look upset, or was that just Rex’s imagination? Rex swallowed thickly.</p><p>“Of course, sir. What did you want to talk about?” Rex was doing his very best to play it cool, but his heart was set to leap out of his chest. <em>Did he know?</em></p><p> </p><p>“I saw you and the Commander today, and I gotta say, I’m disappointed,”.</p><p><em>He knew. </em>Rex’s face grew sallow, and his eyes widened.</p><p>“Sir, it’s not what you think, I—”</p><p>Skywalker chuckled at Rex’s panicked reaction.</p><p>“Rex, you’re <em>fine</em>. I just wish you would have shown me some of the moves you two did,”.</p><p>
  <em>Huh?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“So this is about—”</p><p>“The lightsaber-blaster switch thing. Where did you two learn to do that, anyway?”</p><p>Rex breathed a sigh of relief. <em>He didn’t know. </em></p><p>“We completed additional training on Coruscant together. The Commander was stationed with my squad, and, well, we ended up working together pretty well,”. <em>That’s </em>an understatement.</p><p>“You’re teaching me <em>all </em>of your secret moves with the Commander when we get back to Coruscant,”. Skywalker grinned. “Cody’s gonna be <em>so </em>jealous,”.</p><p>“Yes, sir,”.</p><p>Rex smiled to himself. Skywalker <em>definitely </em>didn’t want to know <em>all </em>of his secret moves with the Commander.</p><p>***</p><p>Rex spent <em>way </em>too long trying to find your quarters. Asking the General was out of the question, given his earlier run-in. Rex stumbled from room to room, knocking until <em>finally </em>he heard your voice from behind a door. You let him in with a grin, checking behind him to assure that no one had seen him enter.</p><p>“Took you long enough to get here,” you said with a little smile. Rex understood the underlying meaning in your words. All at once, the scene laid out before him was made welcomingly familiar and strangely foreign. It was <em>you</em>, but two years had passed. You weren’t the Jedi knight you were when you first fell in love with him, and Rex knew he wasn’t the same underconfident shiny.</p><p>“It took me a while to find you,”.</p><p>You hummed at Rex’s response, pouring him a drink as he stripped off the top half of his armor. The top of his blacks fit him well, you thought. It always did. You motioned for him to take a seat on your bed. Your room was sparse, the bed and a nightstand being the only furniture present. Rex sat down with a sigh, taking a rather large sip of the firewhiskey. <em>Shit, </em>that was stronger than he remembered. He coughed a little, and you laughed. You took a seat next to him, a foot or two away.</p><p>“So tell me, what’s happened in these past two years?”</p><p>You searched Rex’s eyes, which answered much faster than his mouth did. War was painful, always had been, but something in Rex’s expression told you that it’d been especially hard on him. You laced your hand with his, and he spoke.</p><p>Rex told you everything. He told you about getting shot, and having to hole up in a farmer’s barn for a few nights. He told you the farmer used to be like him. He told you that when that farmer asked if he wanted something more out of his life, the answer was a silent <em>yes</em>. He told you that when he saw the farmer’s wife and children, he saw the family he gave up when you two parted ways. He told you that after he got off that backwater planet, he came to his senses and realized that you were probably long gone. He made it his mission to forget you. He still saw you, though, and he told you this.</p><p>He saw you on Umbara. You were alongside him, telling him to be <em>brave</em>, to hell with rules and regulations. Telling him that he deserved more, that his <em>brothers </em>deserved more. Telling him that not a <em>single </em>man should have died on that battlefield, that Krell needed to pay.</p><p>He saw you on Coruscant. Your unyielding idealism faded from Fives’s dying eyes, telling Rex that he should have done more. Rex felt stuck for months afterward, your sad eyes and Fives’s death-greyed face following him everywhere he went. You haunted him, sometimes.</p><p>He saw you on Anaxes. You were facing him when he found Echo, telling him like you always had that there would eventually be a happy ending for him and his brothers. He despised the hope you gave him at times. For clones, war was loss after loss—when someone was gone, they <em>stayed </em>gone. This time, for the first time, someone came back. This time, for the first time in almost two years, Rex allowed himself to hope.</p><p>He told you all of this. Your teary eyes met his, and Rex gave your hand a gentle squeeze. He <em>hated </em>to see you cry.</p><p>“It’s not all been bad, cyare. Have I told you anything about the General yet?”</p><p>You shook your head, and wiped at your eyes with your free hand.</p><p>Within <em>minutes</em>, Rex had you laughing your ass off at Skywalker’s antics.</p><p>“He <em>threw </em>you? With the force? Why didn’t I think of that?”</p><p>Rex shook his head with a groan.</p><p>“I <em>knew </em>pairing you and the General together was going to be a bad idea. He’s already been asking me where we learned our ‘moves’,”.</p><p>You laughed. Rex’s chest warmed.</p><p>“So, what’d you tell him, Rex? Nothing too incriminating?” You nudged his shoulder playfully, but the concern in your voice betrayed your thoughts.</p><p>“It’s alright, he doesn’t know anything about us. Told him I remembered it from training on Coruscant,”.</p><p>You nodded, but something in Rex’s words took you someplace far from here. The room suddenly fell eerily quiet.</p><p>Your voice broke the silence at last.</p><p>“Do you remember?”</p><p>Rex furrowed his brow. “Remember what?”</p><p>“Earlier, you said you tried to forget about us. It’s been a long time, d’you still remember everything?”</p><p>Rex’s features softened as he nodded. He searched for the right words, his eyes falling to your mouth.</p><p>“I remember when I kissed you for the first time, I bumped my teeth against your lip and it split a little. I was so scared—I didn’t know how I had managed to fuck up that badly. <em>First </em>I kiss my commanding officer and then I make her bleed? I was <em>certain </em>I had earned myself a one-way ticket to get reconditioned. When you kissed me back I didn’t know what to do with myself,”.</p><p>You laughed a little at this, and Rex’s eyes traveled down to your hands.</p><p>“I remember the first morning we woke up together—you held my face in your hands and kissed me <em>so </em>gently. That morning was all soft touches and little whispers and that’s when I <em>knew</em> that you were it for me,”.</p><p>You sighed gently at this, and rested your head against Rex’s shoulder.</p><p>“That’s when I knew, too. You were just <em>so </em>damn perfect. Still are,”.</p><p>You turned your head as Rex’s eyes trained on yours. His hand lifted up, the pad of his thumb just barely tracing over the curve of your neck, like he was almost afraid to touch you. His hand found its resting spot just over your pulse.</p><p>“I remember—” Rex swallowed thickly. “I remember you liked it when I kissed you here,”.</p><p>You stilled, the little spot under his thumb burning throughout your entire body. You moved to nod, but a <em>much </em>better idea entered your mind.</p><p>“I don’t remember,”.</p><p>His hand dropped from your neck.</p><p>“You don’t?” Rex’s face fell, confusion marring his expression.</p><p>You shook your head. You swung a leg over Rex’s, effectively seating yourself in his lap.</p><p>“I think I might need a reminder,”.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter takes place three weeks after the last one. Lotsa fluff, Rex n reader are in LOVE, more Rex cuddles bc its what we deserve, enjoy the seratonin bc its gonna get real sad real fast next chapter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the last three weeks since that whiskey-fueled evening in your quarters, you spent the night in Rex’s arms. With gentle touches and whispered words, you slowly but surely built back the bridge between you that time had razed. The swan song of the Clone War could be heard from a distance—more and more, your thoughts centered around your future. <em>Rex’s </em>future.</p><p>Your eyes fluttered open, only to be met with Rex’s honeyed gaze.</p><p>“Good morning, cyar’ika,”.</p><p>You hummed a lazy greeting, stretching out your bare limbs. Rex was <em>warm</em>, and your original plan for getting out of bed was discarded. Meetings and paperwork could wait—you savored these early morning moments more than Rex could possibly know.</p><p>“Good morning, my love,”.</p><p>You pulled him into a slow, saccharine-sweet kiss. He smiled into your lips, and you giggled as he pulled back to press a quick peck to the tip of your nose.</p><p>“You going soft, Captain?” you questioned with mock disdain.</p><p>“Only for you,”.</p><p>You rolled your eyes at his sappy answer and collapsed back onto his chest. The air around you stilled—Rex’s heartbeat was steady against your cheek as you allowed yourself just a <em>few </em>more minutes of respite.</p><p>Rex’s voice rumbled through his chest, still rough from sleep.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking, cyare,”.</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“About Naboo,”.</p><p>Realization crossed your features, and you propped yourself up on Rex’s chest to meet his gaze.</p><p>“What about it?”</p><p>“Well, it seems like every day, we get closer and closer to ending this war. I want to be with you when it’s all over,”.</p><p>“Me too, Rex,”.</p><p>Rex’s features relaxed, his thumb tracing a steady circle around the small of your back as he mulled over his words.</p><p>“The house on Naboo—I want a window with a view. So I can see out into the fields, keep an eye on the kids when they play outdoors. Oh, and a table, too. A big one, so when my brothers visit, there’s always room,”.</p><p>You smiled at this, sliding your hand up Rex’s chest to rest against his cheek.</p><p>“We’ll have all that and more, I promise. You deserve it,”.</p><p>Rex had earned his happy ending. After two years of war, maker knows you did, too. A flash of guilt crossed your mind—you had yet to tell Master Windu or Master Secura of your plans to leave the order. The prospect of leaving behind everything you’d ever known should have frightened you more than it did. Aside from the subtle nagging of your conscience, you were strangely calm. As much as you loved the Jedi order, you loved Rex more.</p><p>He kissed you gently. As the two of you prepared for the day ahead, your future rose before you, bright and shining.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Your morning was one of the busiest you’d had in a while. Rex was quickly whisked off by his fellow troopers—Commander Tano had returned, on urgent business, and the 501<sup>st</sup> was playing the role of welcoming committee. You smiled to yourself. Tano’s name had come up frequently when Rex talked about his past two years with the 501<sup>st</sup>. The two clearly had a strong bond, and Rex had explained to you how painful it was for the entire battalion when she left the Jedi order.</p><p>While Rex prepared his men, you had already spent two hours filing equipment damage reports for the council. Your fingers ached from typing on your datapad, and your vision swam. Filing damage reports was about the dullest job you could have chosen to complete, but Skywalker was infamous for pawning off filing duty on a low-ranking officer or shiny. At least if you completed them, they’d be done right. Your consciousness was <em>just </em>beginning to slip when your commlink lit up.</p><p>“Commander, we need you in the hangar, immediately,” General Skywalker’s voice reverberated through the small room. Sensing a break from the tedium, you made your way to the hangar double-time, barely remembering to close the filing room doors.</p><p>The hangar was filled with armored men, painted with Tano’s markings. You smiled—Rex had clearly made it his mission to give the former Jedi a warm welcome. Kenobi’s voice rumbed to your left. Skywalker, Tano, and Kenobi had clustered in the center of the hangar, clearly discussing something important.</p><p>You cleared your throat.</p><p>“You wanted to see me, General?”</p><p>Skywalker turned, relief flooding his features.</p><p>“Yes, actually. Rex and Ahsoka will be leading an emergency mission on Mandalore. I’ve promoted Rex to Commander, so he’ll take the lead, and Ahsoka will be acting as a civilian advisor. I’m sending them with as many members of the 501<sup>st</sup> as I can spare. As a member of the council, you <em>technically </em>do not need council approval to accompany them to Mandalore. While on Mandalore, you would not be acting as a representative of the council, and your rank would be demoted to Lieutenant Commander. It’s your choice—if you don’t accept, you’ll accompany me and General Kenobi to Coruscant—we leave immediately, Dooku is attacking the capitol.</p><p>You remembered your promise to Rex—the war was coming to its close, and you swore that you would be with him when it finally did.</p><p>“I’ll go to Mandalore,”.</p><p>Skywalker nodded to Kenobi, and turned back to you.</p><p>“Alright, then, it’s settled. May the force be with you,”.</p><p>“May the force be with you,”.</p><p>You turned to board the Venator. You made your way to the bridge, where you knew Rex would already be seated, probably checking over ammunitions inventory. He stood when he saw you, his lips twitching into a slight smile.</p><p>“Commander Rex, may I have a word?” The phony formality dripped from your tone, and Rex quickly dropped his datapad to accompany you into a less crowded hallway.</p><p>You yanked him into the first supply closet you saw, boxing him in against the closed door. Rex sucked in a breath at the sudden movement, and you giggled in response. Pressing up onto your tiptoes, you leaned in closer to Rex’s ear. Your breath was warm against his neck, and he shivered involuntarily.</p><p>“Congratulations on your promotion, Commander,”.</p><p>Rex’s hands attached to your waist like a <em>magnet</em>. He hoisted you off the ground with ease, settling you on top of a supply crate to your left. As soon as your ass hit the unforgiving metal, his lips were on yours.</p><p>You held on to his plastoid chest-plate for dear life, pulling him closer to you as he pressed his lips <em>hard </em>against yours. You gasped, and he pulled away for just a moment, chuckling to himself before attacking your neck with kisses.</p><p>“<em>Rex,” </em>you whispered. He ran his tongue over a dark mark he had sucked just above your pulse point.</p><p>“Need something, cyare?”</p><p>Before you could answer, Rex’s commlink buzzed. <em>Ahsoka. </em></p><p>
  <em>Fuck. </em>
</p><p>“Rex, where are you? We land in an hour, and I’d like to go over our strategies,”.</p><p>Rex pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for you to be quiet.</p><p>“Sorry, Commander. I’m on my way to the bridge, now,”.</p><p>“Are you alright? You sound like you’re breathing pretty heavily—are you sparring right now?”.</p><p>You grinned, holding in your giggle. Rex shot you a warning look before responding.</p><p>“I’m alright, just tired,”.</p><p>“Alright, then. Pick up some caf pills from the medbay on your way. Oh, and before I forget, if you see the Lieutenant Commander, tell her to meet us on the bridge,”.</p><p>“Yes, sir,”.</p><p>The commlink disconnected, and you let out a snort. Rex chuckled to himself, and helped you off the crate. He cleared his throat</p><p>“To be continued?”</p><p>You nodded. He pulled you close, and pressed a final kiss to your forehead before you both walked out the door.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter takes place directly after the Siege of Mandalore, on the Venator. Rex cries. This Does Not End Well.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Siege of Mandalore was a victory for the Republic, after days of fighting tooth and nail. You fought at Rex’s side for most of the battle, working in tandem to slice through the enemy forces. Your reluctance to separate from him earned a knowing look or two from Ahsoka. When you questioned Rex about it, he had explained that she knew he had loved and left someone, but she didn’t know it was you. After a day or two of observing Rex’s interactions with you, she had most likely connected the dots.</p><p>As you sat in the medical wing of the Venator, the battle finally over, this knowledge that Ahsoka was aware of your relationship brought you a sense of serenity. The battle was won, the war was all but over, and you and Rex had the world at your fingertips. <em>You wouldn’t have to hide anymore</em>. The second you were back on Coruscant, you would book two one-way tickets on a transport to Naboo. </p><p>Rex was on the bridge of the ship—you had told him you would be in the medical wing, watching over the wounded. Rex assured you he would stop by as soon as his debriefing was over. He had kissed you softly before leaving for the bridge, right in front of his men. For anyone else, that moment would have passed without a thought. For you, it meant the <em>world. </em>It was your very first taste of a life outside of the Jedi order, outside of the GAR. It was your very first taste of a life lived unhidden. You smiled at the recollection. Both of you knew that after today, your lives would change forever. You would be free. </p><p>It was quiet. Only the beeping of the various machines attached to the republic’s most critically injured kept you company.</p><p>The silence was shattered.</p><p>What began as a low buzz in the base of your skull crescendoed to a wretched scream that seemed to echo throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and your brain mercilessly. You heard voices, so many voices, all of them in agony. You tried to isolate them, to find out what was wrong. <em>Something </em>was terribly wrong. You felt your friend, Aayla Secura, in pain. You felt her presence fade.</p><p>As quickly as the disturbace came, it faded into blackness. Nothing.</p><p>Your heart pounded against the walls of your chest. Your eyes darted about the room nervously. The wounded remained unconscious, entirely unresponsive to the disturbance you had felt. <em>What had happened? </em>You knew Aayla was dead, but there was so much more to the disturbance than that. Half the light in the galaxy had just been snuffed out, and you had <em>no </em>idea why or how.</p><p>You stood from your seat, and drew your lightsaber. The weapon buzzed familiarly in your palm.</p><p>You made up your mind to stay in the medical wing. Whatever you felt, Ahsoka must have felt, too. Rex knew where you were, and the two of them would come and find you if something was urgently wrong. <em>Or were they hurt, too? </em>You shook your head to rid yourself of the thought. If Rex was hurt, you would have felt it. You spent the next few minutes nervously thumbing the grip of your lightsaber, deep in thought.</p><p>The opening of the doors to the medical wing drew you from your ruminations.</p><p>You swung your saber into a defensive position, before shutting it off once you recognized the man at the door. <em>Rex</em>. You breathed a sigh of relief and stepped to embrace him. You noticed moments too late that his blasters were pointed at your chest. His hands trembled.</p><p>“Rex, wha—”</p><p>He fired three shots. <em>He never misses.</em></p><p> </p><p>You collapsed in on yourself, crumpling to the ground. Your head hit the floor <em>hard</em>, your left cheek pressed against the durasteel. Your chest burned.</p><p>You saw his boots approach.</p><p>The force moved in waves around you, undulating through the air, through your body. It felt <em>warm. </em>It felt <em>calm.</em> You were struck with a single thought: <em>It wasn’t his fault.</em></p><p> </p><p>Rex was shaking. He didn’t know why he was shaking. <em>Good soldiers follow orders. </em>The Jedi were the enemy. <em>You </em>were the enemy. Why did he feel compelled to touch you? He should be disgusted.</p><p>Rex knelt at your side. He pressed the pads of his index and middle fingers into your neck. The touch set his body on fire. He burned. Your pulse met his fingertips weakly—you were dying. He heard your voice. It sounded distant, yet <em>so, so close. </em>It was like gravel, rough and unsteady.</p><p>“I forgive you, Rex. I—” You coughed, and a mixture of blood and saliva bubbled at your lips. “I forgive you. This isn’t your fault, Rex. I love you,”. You sucked in a breath, but the air escaped your lungs with a sickly wheeze. Your words came slower now, quieter, more strained. You told him you loved him again and again. You told him you loved him until your words were unintelligible, until you finally fell silent.</p><p>Rex knelt there, with his fingertips at your pulse, unable to move. His silence matched yours. Your eyes had a glassy look to them, Rex noticed. Your gaze was fixed on his face, but you seemed to be looking right through him. Your pulse was even weaker now, more irregular. Rex’s stomach turned. <em>He was going to be sick</em>.</p><p>Jesse entered the medbay.</p><p>“Sir, Ahsoka Tano has yet to be captured,”.</p><p>Rex motioned to your prone form with a shaking hand, not bothering to look away from your ashen face.</p><p>“She’s not dead, yet. I’m going to wait,”. Rex’s voice broke. He felt hot tears roll freely down his cheeks. <em>Why was he crying? </em>His fingertips trembled against your neck.</p><p>“Understood, sir,”. Jesse scrutinized the scene laid out before him. Appearing satisfied, he turned to leave. The medbay doors closed with a slam.</p><p>Your pulse met Rex’s fingertips one last fluttering time before falling silent forever. He should have stood up. He should have been proud. He had exterminated an enemy of the Republic. Instead, Rex’s mind was shattered. He let out a sob that turned his gut inside out. <em>What had he done?</em></p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter takes place at the end of the last episode of S7 of The Clone Wars. There is a 7-year time jump noted in the fic. Ahsoka is amazing as per usual. Rex finally gets his happy ending.</p>
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    <p>Rex didn’t cry when he buried you. He didn’t cry when he pulled your broken body from the remains of the ship. You were the last to be found. He didn’t cry when he held you in his arms for hours, shaky fingers tracing the lines of your face, knowing this would be the last time he would see you. <em>The last time you wouldn’t be just a memory</em>.</p><p>Ahsoka found Rex sitting against a block of durasteel, cradling your head in the crook of his arm. She approached him slowly, like he was dangerous. She crouched next to him, placing a hand atop his. Rex pulled his hand away like he had been burned.  When he turned his face to hers, Ahsoka saw desolation written across his grimy features, desolation that she knew she could not cure.</p><p>“I loved her, you know,”. Rex’s voice was eerily loud, echoing off of the broken walls of the wreckage.</p><p>Ahsoka nodded.</p><p>“I loved her, and—” Rex’s voice broke, wavering with the effort to remain composed. He looked away from Ahsoka’s face, back to yours. “—and I killed her,”.</p><p>“Rex, it wasn’t you, it was the chip,”.</p><p>“I don’t <em>care</em>,” Rex roared. Ahsoka jumped back, startled.</p><p>“Rex—”</p><p>“I’m sorry,”. With those two words, it seemed as if all the fight had been sucked out of him. Rex collapsed against the durasteel behind him. Ahsoka maneuvered herself to sit next to him, mindful of your body in his arms.</p><p>“I am, too,”. Rex looked to Ahsoka. Her eyes brimmed with tears and pity.</p><p>Rex turned to look before him, at the dust-laden scenery.</p><p>“We were gonna have a family. A house, on Naboo. And a table, for the brothers when they came to visit. You could’ve visited, too,” Rex’s voice caught in his throat. <em>His brothers. </em>All of them dead, except for him. “She was always too good for me. Too good for this,” Rex nodded to the remnants of war surrounding them. “I should have stayed away, should have kept my distance, should have forgotten all about her when I had the chance,”. The wind churned the dust at his and Ahsoka’s seated forms. “Maybe then, she would have lived,”.</p><p>“You have no way of knowing that,”. Ahsoka spoke calmly, channeling as much serenity into her voice as possible. <em>For his sake</em>.</p><p>“I was <em>selfish</em>, Ahsoka. Plain and simple. I was selfish, and she died, and now I have to <em>bury</em>—” Rex couldn’t finish the sentence. He shook, holding back a dam of emotions. He pressed his forehead to yours. You were cold.</p><p>“Now, you have to bury her,”. Ahsoka finished, standing up.</p><p>Rex looked up, and Ahsoka saw how he pleaded with his eyes. Begging for just a few more moments to hold you, to pretend that in just a few minutes, you’d sit up and tell him you loved him just <em>one </em>more time. Ahsoka shook her head.</p><p>“Rex, we need to go. We can give her a proper burial, but people will come looking soon. I’m sorry,”.</p><p>Rex sighed. He knew Ahsoka was right.</p><p>Rex didn’t cry when he buried you. He didn’t cry when he dug your grave. He didn’t cry when he pressed one last kiss to your forehead before lowering you down into the rubble that didn’t deserve to touch you. He didn’t cry when he placed your lightsaber next to you, the only indication to an outside eye that you used to be <em>special</em>. Ethereal in your movements, full of light and life.</p><p>Rex buried a part of himself, that day, but he didn’t bury you.</p><p>He carried you with him, let you haunt him, sought out your ghost. It took him seven years to truly bury you.</p><p>***</p><p>Seven years later, Rex finally lets you go.</p><p>The grass moves around him, green and golden-tinged, reaching to his waist. The sun kisses his cheekbones, like you had, so many years ago. He understands, now, why you had chosen Naboo. He sits himself, ankles crossed, in the center of the plains, letting the gentle breeze lift at the edges of his burdens. <em>A good place to raise children</em>, you had said. Rex agrees. He’s carried you with him—your words, your touch, your smile—since he’s met you. He carried you with him for two years, while you were separated by war. He carried you with him for seven years, while you were separated by death. He thinks to himself that he can let go, now. So he does.</p><p>Rex cries.</p><p>He cries for you. He cries for his brothers. He cries for the unfairness of the whole damn situation, that his childhood had been stolen by a war he was designed to lose. He cries for the window with a view, for the large kitchen table.</p><p>And through his tears, he sees you, one last time.</p><p>Your face appears, directly across from him, highlighted in blue and positively glowing. You are seated, legs crossed, right in front of him. You give him one of your soft, sad smiles, and place your hand gently on his knee. The touch burns, and Rex <em>swears </em>this is real. The way his heart hums in his chest confirms it. His lips part to speak, and you are gone.</p><p>Your face disappears into the whistling grass, and Rex smiles with watery eyes. You were here.</p><p>Rex sits there for a while longer, soaking up the warm sun and birdsong. He doesn’t think of you. He doesn’t think of anything at all. He sighs. </p><p>It is there, among the grasses where your children would never get to play, where Rex finally lets you go.</p>
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